LeT module involved in Chrar-i-Sharief bank robbery busted, five held

The Pulwama police on Friday claimed to have busted an Over Ground Workers (OGWs) module of Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) by arresting five persons, who were allegedly involved in a bank robbery at Maloora Chrar-i-Sharief in Budgam on November 21.

Unidentified gunmen barged into the Malpora branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Chrar-i-Sharief of Budgam district and robbed about Rs. 14 lakh cash.

Based on specific leads about the incident, the Pulwama police zeroed in on one Mohammad Iqbal Wani, resident of Chewa Kalan, who arrest and disclosures further led to further arrests of Farooq Ahmad Bhat and Tanvir Alam Wani, both residents of Chewa Kalan, said a police statement issued here.

Police claimed that during questioning, it was found that the trio was running an LeT OGW module. They revealed that the conspiracy of robbing the Malpora branch was hatched and masterminded by one Arif Dar, alias, Abu Haibat-ul-lah, a resident of Lelhar Kakapora, who is an active local terrorist of LeT outfit, along with two other terrorists of foreign origin, identified by their codes as Abu Ali and Abu Ismail, said police.

"They provided all the support for facilitating the decoity, including transportation, logistics and conducting of recce etc. The group also used the services of Tanvir Bhat and Raqeeb Rather, residents of Chewa Kalan Pulwama," said police.

Five people - Mohammad Iqbal Wani, Farooq Ahmad Bhat, Tanveer-ul-Alam Wani, Tanveer Ahmad Bhat and Raqeeb Rather, all residents of Chewa Kalan, were involved in the crime and had been arrested, Police claimed, adding that the hunt is on for other persons involved in the crime.